Parking meter



Jan. 2, 1951 F. L. SHARP 2,536,891

PARKING METER Filed Sept. 20, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 1& 019m A TTORNE YS.

Jan. 2, 1951 SHARP 2,536,891

PARKING METER Filed Sept. 20, E48 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "IJIIIIIIJIIIJIJJIIIIIIIJ Fig. 4

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Fred L. Sharp (flan r5. GM? my @fm.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE PARKING METER;

Fred L. Sharp, Austin, Tex.

Application September 20, 1948, Serial No. 50,122

8 Claims.

The invention relates to parking meters, powered by spring wound timing devices, such as are employed along streets to control the parking of vehicles by indicating when a predetermined time interval has lapsed after the meter has been placed in operation by the insertion of a coin or token.

It is anobject of the invention to provide a coin controlled device that may be rewound by the turning of the door leading into the coinreceiving chamber.

It is another object of the invention to providea parking meter having a novel means of collecting the coinsdeposited in said meter.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational front View of the meter, partly insection.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the meter, partly in section, showing the novel means for emptying the coin receiving chamber and rewinding the timing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the collection box and coin receiving chamber, partly in section, showing the collection means incollecting position on the meter.

Fig. 4' is a side elevational sectional view of the coin receiving. chamber door.

A construction illustrating the embodiment of the invention comprises a parking meter housing I in which a suitable spring wound timing mechanism 2 is located. The lower end of the housing I has a coin receiving chamber 3, the floor 4 of the chamber 3 being downwardly inclined from the rear of the chamber to the door I. A coin chute 5 extends downwardly through the housing I and terminates in the chamber 3. A coin deflecting wall 6 extends downwardly and inwardly from the front wall of the housing I at a point adjacent the lower end of the chute 5. A stationary door I is mounted on the front wall of the housing I at the coin outlet port 8, said door I being rearwardly and downwardly inclined and having a coin outlet port 9 in the lower portion thereof. The side walls 30, 30 of the chamber 3 are for wardly and inwardly inclined forming a funnellike channel to the outlet port 8. A suitable support, as the angle iron II], maintains the wall 6 in position in the coin receiving chamber 3. A revolving door II is mounted in said coin outlet port 8 and abuts said stationary door I. The revolving door II has a series of keyways I2, I2,

and locking mechanisms I3, i3, therein which able head will be brought into. alignment with the locking. mechanisms as M, I4 in the front wall of thev housing I.

A. gear shaft I5 is fixedly mounted in the door II and extends axially through the stationary door 1'. Mounted on the extended end of the shaft I5 is the toothed gear I6 which meshes: with and operates the toothed gear I! which in turn rotates the flexible shaft I8 and gear I9, which is in mesh with and rotates the winding mechanism of the timing device 2. The door I I may be suitably maintained in position on thedoor 'I as by the groove 32 into which the looking mechanisms will project when in non-locking position.

A coin collection box as 221 may be used to collect the coins as 23 deposited in the chamber 3. A tube as 24 extends from this collection box 22. A rotatable head as 25 is rotatably mounted on the tube 25 as by the swivel 25. Keys, 21-, ex tend from the upper end of the head 25 and arev adapted to it into and unlock the locking mechanisms 2-3,, it, in the revolving door '1. A suitable handle, as 2-3, facilitates the rotation of the head 25. The door has a coin outlet port 29 therein.

When it is desired to collect the coins in the coin receiving chamber, the keys on the rotat- 25 are inserted in the keyways i2 and the head 25 rotated a half turn, moving the coin outlet port 29 into alignment with the coin outlet port 9, permitting the coins as 23 in the coin. receiving chamber 3 to slide out of the chamber 3 into the tube 24 and through the tube 24 into the. collection box. 22, then the head 25 is rotated further completing one revolution of the. door II, moving the port 2% again out of alignment with the port 9 and sealing the chamber 3. This revolution of the door Il will also impart a revolution through the gears I5, I I, flexible shaft I 3, gears I9, 28, to the winding mechanism of the timing device 2, thus winding said timing device.

On one of the keys, preferably the top key, 21, is a projection 2! which will pass into the groove 3! at the bottom of the port 8 when the door II is rotated, which will prevent the head 25 from being removed from the door II until the door is again moved into locked position as shown in Fig. 2.

It is herein pointed out that the locking and unlocking means as disclosed is more diagrammatically than structurally indicative of any well known locking device of conventional design. In

a coin receiving chamber in said housing, a

stationary plate, a revolving door mounted on said coin receiving chamber, a series of locks on said revolving door adapted to simultaneously receive a single member, coin discharging ports in said plate and door adapted to be brought into and out of alignment upon rotation of said door, a shaft axially mounted in the revolving door and extending through said plate, a gear mounted on the extended end of said shaft, and a connection between the winding mechanism and said gear adapted to wind said winding mechanism upon rotation of said revolving door. 2. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a manually wound timing device mounted in said meter housing, a coin chute and coin receiving chamber in said housing, a key operated revolving door permitting access to said coin receiving chamber, a flexible shaft in operative connection with said revolving door and said timing device, and a key to rewind said timing device upon rotation of said revolving door.

3. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a manually wound timing device in said housing, a coin receiving chute and a coin receiving chamber in said housing, the floor of said receiving chamber extending downwardly towards the front of said housing, the front wall of said chamber extending outwardly and upwardly, a revolving door mounted on said front wall, locking means in said revolving door, a port in said door, and a cooperating port in said front wall adapted to be brought into alignment therewith.

4. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a timing device in said housing, a coin receiving chamber in said housing having a downwardly and outwardly tapered'bottom wall and an outwardly and upwardly tapering front wall, a revolving door mounted adjacent said front wall, a series of locks in said revolving door, a coin receiving tube having a series of keys on one end thereof adapted to be inserted into and unlock the locks on said revolving door, said tube being adapted to revolve with said revolving door, a port in said front wall, and a port in said revolving door adapted to be brought into align- 4 ment with the port in said front wall by revolv ing said revolving door.

5. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a, coin receiving chamber in said housing, the bottom wall of said chamber extending upwardly and rearwardly, the front wall of said chamber extending upwardly and forwardly, a, port in the lower end of said front wall, a revolving door movably secured to said front wall, a series of locks maintaining said door in closed position, a port in said revolving door adapted'to be brought into alignment with the port in said front wall, a shaft extending through said front wall and axially mounted on said revolving door, a gear on the extended end of said shaft, a timing device in said housing having a flexible shaft in operative connection with said gear adapted to be rewound upon each revolution of said revolving door.

6. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a coin receiving chamber in said housing, a revolving door mounted in the forward wall of said chamber and having inside and outside walls, a port in said chamber, a port in said door adapted to be brought into alignment with said chamber, locking means in said door, keyways leading from the outside wall of said door to said locking means, a coin receiving tube one end of which terminates in a collection box and the other end of which has keys to be connected to said door, means on said tube for rotating said tube and door.

'7. In a parking meter, a meter housing, a spring wound timing mechanism in said housing, a coin chamber in said housing, and a revolving door mounted in said chamber, means actuated by said revolving door for rewinding said timing mechanism.

8. A parking meter comprising, a housing having a coin chamber therein, a spring wound timing device means operable to begin indicating the passage of time when a coin passes thereby to fall into the coin chamber, a revolving door in the housing to permit the passage therethrough of coins from the coin chamber, a second means for locking and unlocking the door, and additional means actuated by the unlocking and relocking of the door to wind the timing device.

FRED L. SHARP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS 7 Date Toce et a1. Feb. 1, 1944 

